Judge Orders Patriot Front to Pay $2.7 Million

A federal judge has ordered the white supremacist group Patriot Front and its leader, Thomas Rousseau, to pay $2.7 million to Charles Murrell III, a Black musician assaulted during a 2022 'flash march' in Boston. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found the group liable for violating Murrell's civil rights, noting that they attacked him while shouting racist slurs and glorified the assault by posting video footage online. Murrell testified that he was assaulted and feared for his life while trying to record the incident on his phone. The ruling includes $2 million in punitive damages and $755,000 for medical expenses, pain, suffering, and lost wages. Murrell has since struggled with physical injuries and PTSD, which have significantly impacted his ability to perform music. He expressed relief at the judgment, emphasizing the importance of setting a legal precedent against such violence.